Fine dining with incredible flavor, yet it takes only ~30 minutes to cook at home. This simple baked cod features baked cherry tomatoes that get jammy and sweet, bringing out the delicate, lightly sweet flavor of the fish. You start by roasting the tomatoes with fresh sage, shallots, and a few other seasonings, then add your fish halfway through to let it absorb the juices and cook through.
The parmesan polenta comes together very quickly and is a beautiful canvas for the fish. It’s savory, cozy, and the perfect hearty contrast to the otherwise light meal. When serving, make sure to spoon over the juices from the pan with the tomatoes.
This baked cod recipe is adapted from NYT Cooking; I’ll link the original recipe here.
See full instructions below. Enjoy friends <3
Baked Cod with Cherry Tomatoes and Sage
3-4 cod filets (or other firm white fish, such as halibut)
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2-3 large cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp sage leaves, very finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
1 tsp lemon zest, for garnish
crisped sage leaves, for garnish* (optional)
Chopped basil, for garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 400F. Combine cherry tomatoes, shallot, garlic, chopped sage leaves, olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper in a 9x13 baking dish. Roast for 15 minutes, or until tomatoes break down and shallots are softened.
Pat cod filets dry, coat with olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper.
Remove baking dish from oven. Give the tomatoes a mix, then scoot them to the edges of the pan to make room for the fish filets. Place baking dish back into the oven and roast for an additional 10 to 12 minutes, or until cod is opaque and just cooked.
*Optional step- crisped sage leaf garnish: heat a thin layer of avocado or high heat cooking oil in a small pan. Once very hot, add a handful of whole sage leaves to crisp them for a pretty garnish! Once the sage leaves are crisp, use a slotted spoon to remove them from the hot oil and transfer them to a paper towel to catch any excess oil.
Parmesan Polenta
3 cups bone broth or stock
1 cup milk (any unsweetened milk will do - whole milk provides the creamiest result!)
1 cup polenta (medium ground)
1-2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
Salt and black pepper, to taste (start with 1 tsp salt, add more to taste)
Bring milk + broth to a boil in a pot. Stir in 1 tsp salt.
Once boiling, slightly reduce the heat, then gradually whisk in the polenta, while quickly whisking at the same time, until all polenta is incorporated. You want to whisk quickly to ensure smooth polenta without lumps. Keep whisking until completely smooth.
Turn to the lowest heat, and let simmer for about 20-30 minutes, until thickened up and fluffy. Add butter and LOTS of parmesan, as well as more salt and pepper to taste.
To plate and serve:
Start with a bed of polenta. Sprinkle chopped basil over top, then sit a filet of cod on top of the polenta. Spoon tomatoes + shallots, as well as juices from the baking dish, over top. Garnish with additional parmesan, black pepper, and a crisped sage leaf, if desired. See picture below for inspiration!
I hope you love this recipe!! This dinner was a very low effort, high reward meal that took minimal preparation.
If you like simple, delicious dinners like this one - make sure to check out my other recipes on Substack and subscribe to get all of my recipes sent straight to your email! <3
Have a wonderful weekend friends!
With love,
Abigail